Secretary of State Linda McCulloch Recognizes National Notary Day
by Honoring Bozeman Resident with Montana Notary of the Year Award

HELENA – In recognition of National Notary Day, Secretary of State Linda McCulloch is pleased to announce that Tara Bradford of Bozeman, Montana has been selected as the 2013 Montana Notary of the Year. By virtue of this award, Bradford will be nominated for the National Notary of the Year award given annually by the National Notary Association.

“Notaries impact many lives by ensuring the integrity and security of critical documents,” Secretary McCulloch said. “Through accuracy and efficiency in her work, Tara Bradford is making a positive difference by connecting foster and adoptive families with children in need. She has a demonstrated record of exceptional public service and goes out of her way to facilitate the processing of time sensitive documents.”

“I'm grateful that Secretary McCulloch has chosen me as the Montana Notary of the Year,” said Bradford. “It's an honor to be given this acknowledgment for serving families and the amazing state of Montana with passion and excellence.”

Secretary McCulloch launched the Montana Notary of the Year award in 2009 to raise the visibility of the invaluable work done by notaries in Montana. Winners are chosen from a field of nominees who are evaluated on criteria including exceptional notary service, accuracy of documents notarized and proper use of notary journal

“Tara Bradford embodies the value of the notary public office and takes her commitment to serve Montanans seriously,” Secretary McCulloch said. “It is my pleasure to honor her with this award and the state's nomination for the 2014 National Notary Award.”

The first National Notary Day was celebrated on November 7, 1975. It was created to recognize notaries for “their public service and their contributions to national and international commerce.” America's first notary was Thomas Fugill, who was appointed by the Colony of New Haven in 1639. There are nearly 17,000 commissioned notaries in the state of Montana.